THE ITEMS OF

CLOTHING

INTRODUCTION

• Why have we chosen this topic?

We have chosen this topic because we believe it is a topic that can be applied to all contexts and situations in which students can live. Students use clothes as a habit in their daily lives. It is important to mention the relationship between this topic with other, as the seasons of the year, the colours, the physical description, the different contexts, the use of an item of clothing and not another one depending on these, etc.

It is also a topic that interests to students because it is something necessary in their daily lives. They need to get dressed, as well as they need to eat, to sleep, etcetera.

• Who is the Didactic Unit directed to?

This Didactic Unit is directed to students of the second cycle of Primary Education, more specifically, to students from the 4th year of Primary Education (9 - 10 years old).

We think these are the most appropriate learners we can direct the unit to, because they have some previous knowledge about the vocabulary as well as the Foreign Language. In this unit, we do not use a very advanced vocabulary, but we introduce some terms by a gradual enrichment of vocabulary, in accordance with their age.

Because of the resources we have used, this is the most suitable age for the activities to be carried out. For example, the images, the drawings, the use of a doll, etc, reinforce the learning of pupils aged 9 -10.

Finally, this didactic unit deals with a theme that can be applied to every socio-cultural context, since it is a theme related to the students' daily life, whatever context they live in.

ACTIVITIES

- How much time will it last?

This didactic unit is prepared to be developed in five sessions of one hour each, because the students have some previous knowledge. Although they have to learn new contents, these can be learnt with fluency. Nevertheless, such time can change depending on different factors.

We have prepared six activities related to the items of clothing, each of them having their own aims.

1.- Emma and her clothes

This activity has as a main aim the learning of the words that designate clothing in the foreign language. In order to reach this aim, we have used a doll and some items of clothing that must be put on her. This way, the learners will be able to widen their vocabulary by means of an activity, instead of learning a list of terms.

2.- What is your partner wearing?

In this activity, what we try is the students to participate actively in the class in order to reinforce the knowledge they have learnt in the previous one. What students have to do is to stand up and say what other partner is wearing that day. This way, they can use the vocabulary having a real contact with its use.

3.- Seasons and clothes

In this activity, we are remembering the seasons of the year, by relating them to clothes. The aim of this activity is the reinforcement of the contents learnt before and the addition of new ones that will relate them with different contexts, for example the use of certain items of clothing in a certain period of time, instead of other.

4.- Can and Cannot/Can't

This activity has as a purpose the revision of the modal verb can, by means of the use of the context of clothing. We use the relationship between some items of clothing and different real situations in life for the students to apply the verb forms properly.

5.- Listening: Who are they?

In this activity, we try the students to pay attention to oral language in order to distinguish different people by distinguishing the clothes they are wearing.

6.- Why are they wearing this way?

The aim of this activity is the distinction between asking and giving reasons, by means of the use of the wh- question and the answer beginning by the particle because. Through the use of vocabulary related to clothes and weather, we are trying the students to learn the procedure to ask and answer using reasons.

CONTENTS

The didactic unit we have dealt with includes the three types of contents, as we can see above:

Conceptual contents

• Vocabulary related to clothing

• Vocabulary related to the seasons of the year

• Vocabulary related to weather

• Use of the modal verb can

• Use of interrogative and affirmative particles

• Use of affirmative, negative and interrogative patterns

Procedural contents

• Contextualization of clothes depending on several situations

• Knowing the use of clothes depending on the season of the year

Attitudinal contents

• Distinguishing different behaviours regarding to clothes, in accordance with social habits

METHODOLOGY

This unit requires an active, participative, task-based methodology, because it is from activities how we develop the contents. It is also cooperative, because the student - to - student deal is required.

Material resources

• Blackboard

• Card

• Coloured pencils

• Scissors

• Images

• Doll

Personal resources

• Students

• Teacher

ASSESSMENT

The assessment must be continuous, in order to see the students' gradual progress of the activities, participative attitude, interest, and motivation.

It must also be formative, giving priority to daily activities, opposite final tests. However, we think it is necessary to make some final tests in order to assess the learning process.

• Fill in the gaps with can or can't/cannot:

1. In summer you __________ wear a jersey because it´s hot.

2. In winter you ___________ wear rubber boots when it´s raining.

3. You __________ wear a jacket in autumn because it´s cold.

4. You ___________ wear a scarf in spring because it´s hot, then you __________ wear a T-shirt.

5. You __________ wear a T-shirt in _________ and _________, because it´s hot.

6. You ________ take an umbrella when it´s windy. Instead, you ________ use a raincoat.

• Listen to the teacher talking about four people, write the name of people below their drawings:

1. My name is Mark, I am wearing a T-shirt, shorts and trainers. I am also wearing a cap.

2. My name is Emily, I am wearing a hat, a dress and sandals.

3. My name is Tom, I am wearing a coat, trousers and boots.

4. My name is Anna, I am wearing a jumper, a skirt and gloves.

• Ask and answer. Use the words in the box.

• Why is he wearing a suit?

Because he is going to a _________.

• Why is she wearing a raincoat?

Because it is _________.

- Why is she wearing _________?

Because _____________.

- Why are they wearing _______?

Because _________________.

- Why are they wearing a bikini?

Because they are going to the _______.

- Why is she wearing a ______?

______________________.

trainers cold beach scarf party

raining sunny running sunglasses